Friday, November 23, 2012

We know it’s been awhile

JODIE: Yes, it HAS been a while since we last posted and it has been VERY difficult for the three of us. After Isla Aguada, where we had a SWELL time, our swimming opportunities just dried up.

COCO: Dried up? Our swimming stopped completely! Our next stop was Progreso, Yucatan. We were in a campground just two blocks from the beach and yet we never got to see the water.

SANDY: That’s not true, Coco. We could see the water from the camper window as we approached the coast.

COCO: Would you like a couple of fat lips? You know what I mean. We never got to the beach to swim and play ball.

SANDY: Heck, Coco, don’t get so insulted. I was only pulling your leg.

JODIE: Oh, I thought you were pulling all four of ‘em.

COCO: Make fun of me if you want, but the truth is that we didn’t get to a beach or lake in a long time. I would languish (like that word?) in the motorhome, pining for a day at the beach. I had to settle for a walk from time to time and that was all.

JODIE: I heard Mom and Dad talking about it. When Dad went into town to get something, Mom took a walk to the beach with Robb and Percilla. She told Dad that the beach was no place to take us because of all the rocks and broken glass. They actually look out for us, you know!

SANDY: Well, I don’t want any cut feet or broken bones. I love the beach, but I don’t want to get hurt.

COCO: Yeah, I know, but I get cabin fever if I spend two much time alone with you two. We spent almost a week in Progreso and never got to swim. Then we went to Chicken Pizza and we didn’t get to go swimming there either, but Mom put on her bathing suit and came home wet.

JODIE: Yes, Coco, I noticed that too and I was waiting for her to take us someplace to swim, but it didn’t happen, Oh, by the way, the place is Chichen Itza. It’s a famous old Mayan ruins.

SANDY: Well, it’s all in the past. We’re camped near Cancun and we’ve been to the beach twice. A couple of days ago and again today.

COCO: Yes, wasn’t it an odd day today? I saw Mom gathering towels and our leashes, and Dad getting our water dish and a cooler. He opened the back of the Jeep and in we went. As he started up the street I KNEW that we were headed for that same beautiful beach.

JODIE: Sure, but your wild, out-of-control, ear shattering whine almost had Dad turn back. That noise is not making it any easier for Dad to take us somewhere.

SANDY: And we didn’t even go to the beach, at least not then. Dad drove into a parking lot near the water, but there was a fence between us and the water. In a little while a man motioned for Dad to drive forward and he DID! Right onto a BOAT. There were other cars and some trucks and some men in uniforms and we waited on the boat for a while.

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This is the boat and all those cars are coming off to make room for us. We were heading for Isla Mujeres and the beautiful beaches there! You know how I am about noises, well after a while the whole boat started to tremble and shake, and so did I. I would have liked to be under Dad’s legs, but that wasn’t going to happen.

JODIE: And soon we were at the island. Now, we could see the water and the island is very small, so Dad started driving down one side of the island looking for the beautiful beaches. We didn’t see any as all the land between the road and the water was privately owned by people or hotels or resorts. Dad came to the end of the island and headed up the other coast.

COCO: JOY!!! The waves were breaking as big waves washed to shore. At first there was no place to park and then Dad pulled over and Mom went down to check the water. She said NO!!! Too dangerous for the dogs! Jagged coral rocks that would tear our feet and break our bones.

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SANDY: Ooh, the thought of torn feet and broken bones scares me. I’d hate to get hurt on vacation.

COCO: Big deal, you’re afraid of almost everything anyway. But to continue, Dad drove up this coast and all of it was the same, rocks, rocks ,rocks. He got to the north end of the island, but it was not easy. There were a bunch of roads that showed up on his navigation thingy, but we would suddenly come to a dead end. But we got as far as we could and started back done the first coast again. We saw some AWESOME beaches, but they were for people only. Can you imagine? They could have a LOT more fun playing with a dog.

JODIE: Long story,short, we ended up back at  the boat which I believe they call a ferry. It was supposed to have already returned to the mainland, but had been delayed for some reason. Dad turned into the lot and asked an hombre (that’s Mexican for man) if there was still time and he said yes. So we were back on the ferry and having another ocean voyage.

COCO: Here comes the good part. When we got off the boat, Dad didn’t turn to go back to the campground, but turned the OTHER way. I was puzzled at first because we were a bit forlorn at not going to a beach, but soon I recognized the road.

SANDY: Yes, she certainly did, and she started again with the whines and squeaks of a mad dog .  If there was another dog on or near the road, Coco would raise such a ruckus!!! Mom and Dad were becoming angry and Jodie and I were becoming deaf. When she gets into that mind set, she is OUT OF CONTROL!

JODIE: In spite of Coco’s lunacy, we got to the beach OK, and we did have a marvelous time.

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So, you can see that we were having a marvelous time. Finally we were worn out, me more than the other two. We went back to the camper and got an after ocean bath and were towel dried. After we had supper, we were three zonked girls. I think that the dry spell for swimming is over as I think our route in the foreseeable future is down the coast staying at ocean front campgrounds.

SANDY: I think you’re right. We should be seeing more frequent swimming, but Coco is in hyper mode at the beach and she gets sore in her back end, so if we have a busy day, like today, we probably will not be visiting a beach tomorrow.

JODIE: That suits me just fine. I’m not a spring puppy anymore.

SANDY: Well, I’m the mother of nine, so I’m not a spring puppy either!

COCO: Ugh…….wimps!

 

Monday, November 12, 2012

More and more of the same

COCO: Yup, same ole, same ole, different day. It’s getting so…………..

JODIE: What in the world are you having Dad write now? Same ole? What same ole?

COCO: Well, you know, we ride and ride and then were walked and walked and then more ride. It gets old after a while.

JODIE: Are you nuts? Has someone been slipping something in with your cookies? Sandy, do you hear the line of bull Coco is trying to pass by Dad?

SANDY: Yes, I heard her, but I thought she was having Dad write down some fictional story that she thought up. It SURE hasn’t been the same ole, same ole. The rides the last few days have been bumpy with some areas of sheer terror. That’s when I was trying to hide under Dad’s legs.

JODIE: I can agree with you on that. Mexico has some of the worst roads we’ve ever been on, but you can’t hide under Dad’s legs, He’s driving. What if he needed to hit the brakes and you were in the way? Did you happen to look out and see the cliffs that we were near? Brrr! No way I would interfere with the driver.

SANDY: Yes, but that was only part of what Coco had in mind. Certainly she’s can’t be thinking same ole, same ole when were camped 20 feet from a beautiful beach that we have to ourselves.

COCO: Private beach…phooey!  Where’s the surf?. It’s not much of a beach without surf. Last year we stayed at TWO campgrounds by the ocean. OK, we weren’t 20 feet from the water, but when we got to the water we had SURF, beautiful surf, surf to run into, surf to chase sticks in, surf that breaks over my head. That’s what I’m talkin’ about.

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JODIE: The picture above doesn’t show a dog pining for the fun of surf. She’s kicking up a wake, chasing the ball.

COCO: I was just making the best of a ho-hum situation. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

SANDY: I do believe that you are a little addled. You were enjoying yourself as much as we were. Oh, I like the surf, too, but I’ve had a grand time at this beach. I get to roll on my back and wiggle back and forth getting  the coarse sand well into my coat. It sure feels good, though Mom has a hard time getting it all out when we’re washed.

JODIE: You younger girls may not have noticed, but there has been a male around here the last couple of nights. I’ve noticed and even Dad noticed. I smelled a male! Dad complained that some male had “marked all the tires on the Jeep and motorhome”.

SANDY: So, we’re had two days in a row at the beach with no riding in between and you’re complaining.

COCO: OK, sometimes I just like the attention. Can we drop it now?

JODIE: OK, we’ll drop it. I’m just going to have Dad add a few pictures.

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That’s all until later. Dad says this can’t actually go out until we have the internet again. What does that mean?